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FOR 


AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE 
COMMUNITIES TO ESTABLISH 
VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS 
IN ILLINOIS 


_ Prepared and approved by the Commercial Club of 


ean the Chicago Association of Commerce, 
e Civic Federation of Chicago and the Educational 
Committee of the Hamilton Club of Chicago 


OF THE 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
2% ULTI914 
AL Bug 
FOR 
An ActT to authorize cities and communities to establish and 


maintain vocational schools 


L. Be it Enacted by the People of the State of Illinois Repre- 
sented in the General Assembly :— 


That a State Board which shall be styled “State Board of 
Vocational Education” is hereby created which shall consist of 
the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Dean of the 
Agricultural Department of the University of Illinois or his suc- 
cessor in office, and three persons nominated by the Governor 
and confirmed by the Senate, one of whom shall be an engineer, 
either mechanical, civil or electrical, in actual practice, and who 
has a degree as such engineer from a college, university or tech- 
nical school of first class standing, one an employer of labor and 
one a skilled industrial employee, who shall be charged with the 
duty of carrying into effect the provisions of this act, whose term 
of office shall be three years from the first day of January of the 
year of their appointment. 

2. Said State Board shall serve without compensation, but shall 
receive their personal and traveling expenses and the sum of ten 
dollars per day-while in performance of their duties as members 
of the State Board. They shall have power to appoint and fix 
the salary of a secretary who shall perform such duties as they 
shall assign to him, and to appoint and fix the salaries of such 
other officers and employees as are necessary for the proper dis- 


.charge of the duties of said Board. All moneys appropriated for 


said Board shall be paid out of the State Treasury only upon the 
erder of the chairman of said Board. 

3. It shall be the duty of said Board to have general charge 
of all schools of the State which may be organized under the 
provisions of this act, and subject to the provisions of this act 
said Board shall have power— 

To establish rules and regulations governing the management 
and operation of such schools and for the transaction of its own 
business. ! 

To prescribe the qualifications and duties of teachers and pro- 
vide for their examination; certification and removal for cause. 

To ascertain and certify annually to the State Treasurer the 


I 


amount of state aid to which any municipality is entitled under 
the provisions of this act. 

To approve the course of study which shall be pursued in the 
various classes of schools established under the provisions of this 
act; provided that the courses of study shall be closely related to 
the commercial, agricultural, and industrial interests of the re- 
spective communities in which such schools are located, and shall 
include instruction as to the rights and duties of citizenship. 

To file all papers, reports and public documents transmitted to 
it by the local boards of vocational education created under the 
provisions of this act and to keep and preserve all other docu- 
ments relating to vocational education and coming into its hands. 

To supervise all schools established under the provisions of 
this act. 

To counsel and confer in such manner as the members may 
deem best with teachers, school officers, employers and employees 
as to the best methods of conducting schools established under 
the provisions of this act. 

To advise and assist local boards of vocational education as 
to the best methods of carrying into effect the purposes of 
this act. 

To visit schools established under the provisions of this act, to 
examine their facilities for vocational education and to prescribe 
forms for such reports as it may require from local boards of 
vocational education. 

To employ and fix the salaries of such number of, not exceed- 
ing one hundred, itinerant instructors as they may deem neces- 
sary for the improvement and scientific development of the agri- 
cultural interests of the State. Such instructors shall be persons 
who are proficient in the branches of knowledge which have a 
direct application to the efficient management of the farm and 
shall devote their entire time to giving lectures, demonstrations, 
and to the promotion of such other educational measures as the 
Board shall adopt for the benefit of the agricultural interests of 
the State. 

To report to the legislature at each regular session and make 
such recommendations as it may deem proper for increasing the 
efficiency of the system of vocational education established by 
this act. 

4. Whenever any city or community having adopted this act 
shall establish one or more schools under its provisions, such city 
or community shall be entitled to receive annually from the State 
in aid of such school or schools, as long as such school or 
schools shall be approved by the State Board of Vocational Ed- 
ucation, an amount equal to one-half of the operating expenses 


2 


of such school or schools, and the amount of such State aid is 
hereby made a charge against the State of Illinois, and shall, upon 
the recommendation of the State Board of Vocational Educa- 
tion, be paid annually to the treasurer of such city or community 
upon the warrant of the auditor of public accounts out of any 
money in the treasury appropriated for such pupose. No State 
aid shall be given for schools established under the provisions of 
this act unless such schools are approved by the State Board of 
Vocational Education as to organization, location, equipment, 
courses of study, qualification of teachers, methods of instruc- 
tion, conditions of admission, employment of pupils and expendi- 
ture of money raised by taxation. 

5. In any city in this State having a population of over 10,000 
inhabitants which shall adopt this act as hereinafter provided 
there shall be a Board of Vocational Education which shall con- 
sist of five (5) members to be selected as follows: 

The Superintendent of Schools of such city or village shall be 
a member ex officio of said Board and four members, two of 
whom shall be employers of labor and two of whom shall be 
skilled industrial, commercial or agricultural employees, shall be 
appointed by the Mayor, by and with the advice and consent of 
the city council of such city, or commissioners thereof in case 
such city is under the commission form of government, within 
twenty days after the adoption of this act by such city. Two of 
the four members so appointed shall hold their respective offices 
for the term of two years and two of said members so appointed 
shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years, from 
the first day of May in the year of their appointment and until 
their successors are appointed and qualified, and every two years 
thereafter the Mayor of such city, by and with the advice and 
consent of said City Council or Commissioners, shall appoint as 
members of said Board of Vocational Education two persons 
who shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years 
from the first day of May in the year of their appointment and 
until their successors are appointed and qualified. Three mem- 
bers of said Board shall constitute a quorum. All appointments 
to said Board shall be so made that at all times two members 
thereof shall be employers of labor and two members thereof 
shall be skilled industrial, commercial or agricultural employees. 
Each member before entering upon the duties of his office shall 
take the oath prescribed by the constitution of this State. A 
person to be eligible for appointment must have been a resident 
of the city more than one year next preceding his appointment. 

6. The Board of Vocational Education shall appoint one of 
its members a chairman and shall also appoint a secretary and 


$ 


such other officers and employees as it shall deem necessary and 
shall prescribe their duties, compensation and term of office. 
Said Board shall prescribe rules necessary to carry out the pur- 
poses of this act. Said Board shall provide books in which shall 
be kept a faithful record of all its proceedings. The yeas and 
nays shall be taken and recorded upon all questions involving the 
expenditure of money. The members of said Board shall serve 
without compensation. 

7. Subject to the provisions of this act, it shall be the duty of 
said Board to establish vocational schools, including schools for 
teaching household arts, of either or all of the following types 
or classes, to wit: 

a. Vocational continuation day schools for youth of both sexes 
between the ages of fourteen and eighteen years who are em- 
ployed or are not pupils in other schools, at which vocational 
schools such instruction shall be given as will render more effi- 
cient the practical work of the factory, shop, store, office or farm. 
Attendance at such schools shall be compulsory upon all such 
youth for 240 hours in each year. 

b. Vocational evening schools for pupils over eighteen years 
of age at which schools such instruction shall be given as will 
supplement and rationalize the practical experiences of the fac- 
tory, shop, store, office or farm. Attendance at such schools 
shall be voluntary. 

c. Vocational continuation day schools for apprentices, clerks 
and servants between the ages of fourteen and eighteen years of 
age, attendance at which shall be compulsory upon all such youth 
who are bound as apprentices, clerks or servants under the 
statute in such case made and provided. At these schools instruc- 
tion shall be given with a view to teaching the entire trade or 
vocation at which such apprentices, clerks, or servants are em- 
ployed, for not less than six hours per week, during the entire 
term of such apprenticeship. 

d. Part-time schools for youth between fourteen and eighteen 
years, the pupils of which will spend alternate weeks in shop, 
factory, store or office or other place of employment and at the 
schools at which instruction shall be given with a view to sup- 
plementing and rendering effective the work of the pupils in their 
respective employments. Teachers at these schools may be per- 
mitted to supplement the school work by giving practical aid and | 
advice to the pupils and their employers at the respective ae 
of employment of such pupils. 

e. Vocational day schools for the. industrial, commercial or 
agricultural instruction and for the instruction in domestic ser- 


Ma Tha 


vice of youth between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years. At 
these schools instruction shall be given with a view to the voca- 
tional preparation of the youth of both sexes who expect to 
commence industrial, commercial, agricultural or domestic serv- 
ice at the age of sixteen years, and shall include instruction to 
girls in women’s trades, commerce and the household arts, and 
to boys in agricultural, commercial, industrial and mechanical 
subjects. Youth employed upon farms shall not be required to 
attend such schools except during the months of November, 
December, January, February and March, but the technical or 
special teachers of subjects pertaining to agriculture may be em- 
ployed for ten months in each year, of which period five months’ 
service shall be in the schools and five months’ service on the 
farms in the municipality or community supporting the school, 
giving lectures and demonstrations and promoting such other 
educational measures as the Board shall determine to be for the 
benefit of the agricultural interests of the community. 

f. Schools which shall provide in one institution for the in- 
struction required in any two or more of the above mentioned 
types of schools. 

8. The Board of Vocational Education shall have charge and 
control of all schools which may be established under the provi- 
sions of this act and shall have power, with the concurrence of 
the city council, or mayor and commissioners of the city— 

First: To buy or lease sites for such schools with the neces- 
sary grounds. If the Boards shall be unable to agree with the 
owner or owners for the purchase of any such site, then with the 
concurrence of the city council or mayor and commissioners it 
may acquire the title to any such site in the manner provided by 
law for the exercise of the right of eminent domain. Such pro- 
ceedings to condemn shall be in the name of the city for the use 
of the board of vocational education of such city. 

Second: To erect or purchase buildings suitable for the use 
of such vocational schools as are hereinbefore mentioned and 
keep the same in repair. 

9. The said Board of Vocational Education shall have power 
and it shall be its duty— 

First: To hire buildings or rooms when needed for the use 
of schools established under this act and for its own use. 

Second: ‘To furnish such schools with the necessary fixtures, 
furniture, tools, machinery and apparatus. 

Third: To employ teachers and fix their compensation, and 
to examine teachers by examination supplemental to the ex- 
amination of the state board of vocational education if such sup- 


5 


plemental examinations seem necessary, but no person shall be 
employed as such teacher who does not hold the certificate of 
qualification of said State Board of Vocational Education. 

Fourth: Subject to the control of said Board to prescribe the 
text books to be used and the studies to be pursued in the schools 
established under this act and to apportion and assign pupils to 
said schools. 

Fifth: To exercise such authority as may be necessary for 
the proper management of said schools and to enact such rules 
as may be necessary or expedient for that purpose. 

Sixth: To expel any pupil guilty of gross disobedience or 
misconduct and to dismiss and remove any teacher for cause 
whenever in the judgment of said Board such action is essential 
to the best interests of the school. 

Seventh: To grant the use of school buildings or any part 
thereof, when not otherwise needed, including light, heat and 
attendants, for public lectures, concerts, and other educational 
and social interests free of cost, but subject at all times to the 
control of said Board. 

Eighth: ‘To superintend and control said schools and to have 
charge of all land, buildings, fixtures and personal property pur- 
chased or hired under this act, and see that the same are kept in 
good condition. 

Ninth: To provide fuel and other necessary supplies for said 
schools and buildings. | 


Tenth: To report to the city council, or mayor and commis- 


sioners, and to the State board of vocational education from time 


to time any suggestions they may deem advisable in relation to 


said schools and their management. 

Eleventh: ‘To prepare and publish an annual report showing 
its receipts and expenditures and the workings and results of the 
schools under its care. 

Twelfth: To make such reports from time to time to the state 
board of vocational education and to the city council, or Mayor 
and Commissioners, as they may require respectively. 

Thirteenth: To certify annually to the city council, or to the 
Mayor and Commissioners in cities having the commission form 
of government, within the time required by law such amounts 
as shall be necessary for the maintenance of the schools estab- 
lished under this act. 

10. None of the powers conferred upon the board of voca- 
tional education of such city shall be exercised except at a regu- 
lar meeting of the Board. 

11. All conveyances of real estate shall be made to, and the 
title to all property acquired by condemnation shall be vested in, 


6 


we 


the city in trust for the use of the board of vocational educatiom,, 


of such city and no sale of real estate acquired under this act)...’ // 
shall be made by the city government except upon the written — 


request of the board of vocational education. Whenever any 
real estate acquired under the provisions of this act shall in the 
judgment of said board of vocational education be unnecessary 
or unsuitable for the purpose for which it was acquired, such 
property shall be discharged from the trusts herein imposed and 
shall become the property of the city free from any claim in 
favor of said board. 

12. The board of vocational education shall not add to its 
expenditures anything over and above the amount that shall be 
received from the State in aid of the schools established under 
the provisions of this act, and the amount annually appropriated 
for the support of such schools. If the board shall add to such 
expenditures the city shall not in any case be liable therefor. 
Nothing herein contained shall be construed so as to authorize 
the levy or collection of any tax upon the demand or under the 
direction of the board of vocational education. No funds raised 
by taxation or otherwise appropriated or set apart for the benefit 
of the common school system of the State shall be expended in 
establishing, equipping or maintaining any school established 
under the provisions of this act. Said Board is hereby declared 
to be a department of the municipal government of the city 
wherein it exists and shall be known as the department of voca- 
tional education of such city. 

13. The City Council, or the mayor and commissioners, shall 
have the power to levy a tax not to exceed one mill on the dollar 
annually on all taxable property in such city for the support of 
schools organized under the provisions of this act, such tax to be 
levied and collected in like manner with the general taxes of such 
city and to be known as the “Vocational Educational Fund,” 
which said tax shall be in addition to all other taxes which such 
city is now or hereafter may be authorized to levy. 

14. All blanks, books, stationery, furniture or other supplies 
necessary to the transaction of the business of such board of 
vocational education shall be furnished to the board at the ex- 
pense of the city, and all other expenditures on account of 
schools established under the provisions of this act which may be 
- authorized by the city council, or the mayor and commissioners, 
shall be paid out of the city treasury. 

15. All moneys raised by taxation for the support of schools 
established under the provisions of this act or received from the 
state in aid of such schools or from any other source for such 
purpose shall be held by the city treasurer as a special fund for 


7 


vocational education subject to the order of the board of voca- 
tional education, and shall be paid out only upon warrants signed 
by the chairman of such board and countersigned by the Mayor 
and city comptroller, or, if there be no city comptroller, by the 
city clerk. 

16. Any city having a population of more than 10,000 inhabit- 
ants now or hereafter existing in this State may adopt and be- 
come entitled to the benefit of this act in the following manner: 
Whenever three per cent of the voters of such city qualified to 
vote for Trustees of the State University and voting at the last 
preceding election of said Trustees shall petition the judge of the 
county court of the county in which said city is located to sub- 
mit to a vote of the electors of such city the proposition as to 
whether such city and the electors thereof shall adopt and be- 
come entitled to the benefits of this act, it shall be the duty of 
such county court to submit such proposition accordingly at the 
next succeeding general state, county, or city election, and if 
such proposition is not adopted at such election the same shall in 
like manner be submitted to a vote of the electors of such city 
by such county court upon like application at any general state, 
county or city election thereafter, and an order shall be entered 
of record in such county court submitting such proposition as 
aforesaid. 

17. The judge of such county court shall give at least thirty 
days’ notice of such election by publishing a notice thereof in 
one or more newspapers of general circulation published within 
such city at least five times, the first publication to be at least 
thirty days before the day of the election; and if no newspaper 
is published in such city then by posting at least five copies of 
such notice in five public places in said city at least thirty days 
before such election. Such election shall be held under the elec- 
tion law in force in such city except as herein otherwise pro- 
vided, and all persons qualified to vote for Trustees of the State 
University shall be authorized to vote at such election. The bal- 
lots to be used at such election shall be in the following form, and 
the voter shall make an X or cross mark in the space opposite “~ 
proposition favored: 7 


For the adoption of an act entitled, ‘‘An Act to authorize cities and 
communities to establish and maintain Vocational Schools.” 


Against the adoption of an act entitled, ‘‘An Act to authorize cities 
and communities to establish and maintain Vocational Schools.” 


If a majority of the votes cast at such election shall be voted 
for the adoption of. this act, it shall son and paint Ag 
adopted by and in force in. stich city. 


8 


18. Any community having a population of 1,000, occupying 
any contiguous and compact territory and excluding therefrom 
any part of a city having a population exceeding 10,000 inhabit- 
ants, may establish a vocational school by submitting the propo- 
sition to a vote of the people at a general or special election. 

19. Upon the receipt of a petition signed by 50 or more legal 
voters residing in such territory, the county superintendent of 
schools of the county in which the territory or the greater part 
thereof is situated shall forthwith order an election to be held 
for the purpose of voting “for” or ‘against’ the proposition to 
establish a vocational school, by posting notices for at least ten 
days in ten of the most public places throughout the territory. 
Such notices may be substantially as follows: 


NOTICE OF ELECTION. 
Notice is hereby given that on the day of 
an election will be held at —-_————— for the purpose of vot- 
ing “for” or “against” the proposition to establish a vocational 
school for the benefit of the inhabitants of (here describe terri- 
tory described in petition). The polls will be opened at — 
o’clock — M. and close at — o’clock — M.” 


County Superintendent. 


Any person who has attained the age of 21 years and who has 
resided within the territory for a year shall be authorized to 
sign the petition. 

20. The form of petition required by the foregoing section 
may be substantially as follows: 


State of Ilinois,) .. 


PRICE Ny les) = § 
To the County Superintendent of Schools of Said County and 
State :— 


We, the undersigned, being fifty or more legal voters residing 

within the following described territory, to wit: 
(here describe territory) 
respectfully petition you to give notice of an election to be held 
according to the provisions of “An Act to Authorize Cities and 
Communities to Establish Vocational Schools,” approved 
1913, for the purpose of voting for or against the proposition to 
establish a vocational school for the benefit of the inhabitants of 
the above described territory. 
NAMES... NAMES 


oY i. hereby certify that I am a legal voter and 
. 


reside within the territory described in the foregoing petition, and 
that the signatures on this sheet were signed in my presence and 


are genuine, and that to the best of my knowledge and belief the ' | 


persons so signing were at the time of signing qualified to sign 
said petition. 7 


Subscribed and sworn to before me this 
19—. 


day of 


Notary Public. 


21. The elections mentioned in Section 18 of this act shall be 
conducted by the persons designated by the County Superintend- 
ent of Schools to whom such petition is addressed, to whom all 
returns shall be made within ten days after such election. ‘The 
ballots shall be in substantially the following form, to wit: - 


The voter shall make an “X” or cross mark in the square fol- 
lowing and opposite the proposition favored and the ballots shall 
be so counted. When the question is voted upon at a general 


election it shall be submitted according to the provisions of the 


statute under which the election is held. Any person who has 
attained the age of 21 years and who has been a resident of the 
territory for one year immediately preceding such election shall 
be authorized to vote at the election. 


22. If a majority of the voted cast on this proposition shall be _ 


in favor of establishing a vocational school, the county superin- 
tendent of schools shall forthwith order an election to be held 
within thirty days for the purpose of electing a Board of Voca- 
tional Education which shall consist of a president and six mem- 
bers, by posting notices for at least ten days in ten of the most 


public places throughout the territory, which notices may be sub- | 


stantially as follows: 


Notice is hereby given that on the day of 
an election will be held at —---———— for the purpose of elect- 
ing a Board of Vocational Education to consist of a president 
and six members. The polls will be opened at — o’clock — M. 
and closed at — o’clock — M. 


County Superintendent. 


Two of the members shall be elected for one year, two for two 


10 


Dam ~ 


e 


years, and two for three years and each year thereafter two 
members shall be elected to serve for three years from the sec- 
ond Saturday in April next preceding the election. The presi- 
dent shall be elected annually and all subsequent elections shall 
be held on the second Saturday of April annually. 

23. For the purpose of supporting a vocational school, the 
territory for the benefit of which such school is established under 
the provisions of this act shall be regarded as a school district, 
and the Board of Vocational Education thereof shall have the 
powers of School Directors and shall be vested with all of the 
powers and charged with all the duties of Boards of Vocational 
Education in cities having a population of over 10,000 inhabit- 
ants, and be subject to the same restrictions, but shall have the 
following additional powers and duties: 

1. To erect, lease or purchase buildings suitable for the pur- 
poses of such schools and keep the same in repair. 

2. To buy or lease sites for school houses with the necessary 
grounds. If the Board shall be unable to agree with the owner 
or owners for the purchase of any such site, then it may acquire 
the title to any such site in the manner provided by law for the 
exercise of the right of eminent domain. Such proceedings to 
_condemn shall be in the name of the Board of Vocational Ed- 
ucation, and the title to all property purchased or acquired by 
condemnation shall be vested in said Board. 

3. To prepare for publication annually in pamphlet form a re- 
port showing the school attendance during the year, the program 
_ of studies and a statement of receipts and expenditures, together 
with the balance on hand, and such other information regarding 
, the school as they may deem proper or as they may be required 
to furnish by the State Board of Vocational Education. 

4. To establish a suitable number of voting precincts for con- 
ducting all elections under this act and fixing the boundaries 
thereof for the accommodation of the voters of the territory, in 
each of which voting precincts there shall be one voting place 
designated by the Board. Whenever the Board shall establish 
more than one voting precinct it shall appoint two judges and 
one clerk for each voting place, assigning as far as practicable 
one member of the Board to each voting place; provided, how- 
ever, that any person who has attained the age of twenty-one 
years and who has been a resident of the territory for one year 
next preceding the date of any election held under the provisions 
of this act shall be authorized to vote at such election. 

24. All Boards of Vocational Education established under the 
provisions of this act shall keep a true and accurate account of 
all moneys expended by them for educational purposes, and shall 


II 


report the same to the State Board of Vocational Education for 
approval, and the auditor of public accounts is hereby authorized 
and required to draw his warrants on the State Treasurer on or 
before the first Monday in September of each year for the re- 
spective sums upon the recommendation and approval of the 
State Board of Vocational Education as hereinbefore provided. 

25. The words and phrases following whenever used in this 
act shall be construed to include in their meaning the definition 
set opposite the same in this section whenever it shall be neces- 
sary for the proper construction of this act. 


1, 
rfl 


12. 
13. 


District—A Vocational Education District created under 
this act. 

Boarp—The Board of Vocational Education of a City or 
Community. 


. VOCATIONAL INSTRUCTION—Instruction whose controlling 


purpose is to fit the recipient for profitable employment. 


. VOCATIONAL CONTINUATION ScHooL—Agricultural, indus- 


trial, commercial and household art school for boys and 
girls in employment, the controlling purposes of which are 
to fit for useful occupations and which deals with pupils 
between fourteen and eighteen years of age. 


. VocaTIONAL Day ScHooL—A school giving instruction to 


persons between 14 and 16 years of age who can give one 
or more years to such preparation before ce employ- 
ment. 


. VOCATIONAL EVENING ScHooL—Vocational schools or classes 


attended by persons over 18 years of age who are already 
engaged in useful employment. 


. Part-Time ScHoots—Schools for persons engaged in useful 


employment which afford instruction during a portion of 
the working time of the pupils supplementary to such em- 
ployment. 


. APPROVED ScHooLt—A school giving instruction in agricul- 


ture, commerce, or in the domestic or industrial arts which 
has been approved by the State Board of Vocational Ed- 
ucation. 


. OPERATING ExpENSES—AII expenses except the purchase of 


real estate, the erection of buildings, and the permanent 
equipment thereof. | 


. He—Male, female, singular or plural. 
. NumsBer—tThe singular number shall include the oe and 


the plural number shall include ae eaten 
OatTH—Oath or affirmation. 7 
Person—Male or female, singular or plural wamibee 


12 


o> 


